Arsenal lose 'unbelievable' player to injury before Club Brugge clash on top of 3 other fresh issues

Arsenal have lost a player to injury ahead of their Champions League date with Club Brugge on Wednesday night. The Gunners will be looking to bounce back from defeat in this one after coming off second best against Aston Villa in the Premier League over the weekend.

Up to this point, Arsenal have been incredibly reliable in the Champions League, winning all five games, and they are well on course to progress to the Round of 16 without the need for a playoff. Meanwhile, Club Brugge, who recently sacked their manager, are two points off the playoffs, with every point crucial for them going forward.

The bad news for Arsenal going into this one is that they have lost teenage star Max Dowman to an injury blow. “Yes, so first of all, unfortunately, Max [Dowman] picked up an injury last weekend and had to come off,” Arteta said.

“So he did some scans and he is going to be out for weeks and then we have the situation of Gabi [Jesus], who we were expecting to be training with us by the end of December. Gabi has been pushing every single day and he kept telling everybody 'I am going to be earlier, earlier, earlier' and he has done it.

“So thanks to his work and all the work that the medical staff have done in all these months, and we had the possibility to make a swap there and we have done it. Yes, on one side, you see Max and the situation and on the other, you see the joy and how happy Gabi is to be back in the Champions League.”

Asked about how concerned he is about Dowman’s injury, Arteta added: “It’s part of the journey. I mean, at some point when you play at this level, when you play in the position that he plays, the manner that he plays, it was going to happen and it happened. One, that, OK, it's not ideal, it will be a weeks, it could have been worse.

“Learn from it and use this time now to continue improving in his education, in everything related to professional football, his habits, the way he needs to develop his physicality, and his understanding of the game. Sometimes when you're away from the game, you say, ‘I cannot really live without it, and how important it is.’ So use those moments as well to get a reflection of where you are as well, and if you are better, of course, go forward.”

Dowman has made a big impression at Arsenal in recent times despite his youth. arteta said of the teen back in January; “Very impressive at his age. Some of the things he does in training are unbelievable. “

Injuries and illness elsewhere

Arsenal will also be without some other players for this one, with Declan Rice, William Saliba and Leandro Trossard all sidelined.

“Declan was ill,” Arteta said, with the midfielder not part of the travelling group. “He was quite sick after the game, and he hasn’t travelled with us. William is still not available, and Leo again picked another knock in an area where he had the issue, and I don't expect that it's going to be long, but unfortunately, he cannot be here.”

Asked about whether there is any concern to the growing list of absentees, Arteta continued: “Yeah, a big one. I mean, losing Max again, it's obviously not ideal with Leo, who is just coming back, that we have to manage the minutes. Willy is still not there. We've not got Big Gabi, and we have other players that they could only play certain minutes. Like, for example, Riccy [Calafiori] the other day. But it's a situation that we have managed since the beginning of the season. We are in December, so it's been almost five months in a remarkable way, and we're going to continue.”

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